We have a new question for our Frequently Asked Questions series!

"How many social media platforms do I need to use? How do I choose which ones are best for my business?"

In general, if your business is going to take the leap into the social media world, you need to be ready to set up, maintain, and monitor at least 3-4 social media platforms. You’ll have to be accessible to your clients through a variety of channels to secure your legitimacy and credibility. Also, it can be fun, I promise!

As for choosing which social media platforms are best for your business, I’m going to start off with the answer no one ever wants to hear: It depends. Every business is different, and the number and type of social media platforms you decide to use should be strategically thought out based on the nature of the goods/services that you provide.

I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are the most useful social media platforms for businesses, with nutshell descriptions for each – because I know you don’t have time to sit here are read every fact and statistic out there for social media (but if you want to, here’s a good place to start). So, here we go:

Facebook: Roughly 1 billion active users, used for sharing a wide variety of content including status updates, videos, and photos. Typical post cadence is 5 times per week.

Twitter: Designed for quick, 140-character max updates. 550 million active users. Can post more than once per day (not to exceed 8 times a day).

Pinterest: Heavily visual, fastest growing social media site in the world. Takes the concept of traditional “pin boards” and makes it virtual. We recommend at least weekly usage.

YouTube: Second most visited website in the world. Made to view/share video content. Update weekly or bi-monthly.

Google Plus: Gaining traction due to Google associating search engine rankings to profile pages. Made to post a variety of content; photos, videos, status updates, and links.

Instagram: Another photo sharing site. Take a picture with your smartphone and use cool filters for effect. Displays photos in news feed format, one at a time.

LinkedIn: Strictly professional network, built for recruitment/job searching. Has company page option that is used to communicate with followers.

To choose which social media platforms are best for your business, take a look at what your business has to offer. For example, a restaurant might consider using Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. The strategy behind that?

• Facebook for the multi-functional post ability
• Twitter to announce daily/weekly specials in short form
• Pinterest to visually categorize their menu options and make other pinners salivate at their computer screens
• Instagram to show off new menu item additions in a unique way (i.e. use cool filters to make delicious food photos look even better)

If you know you need to establish your business on social media, but don’t have the time to invest, PLEASE give us a call! Our marketing department thrives off social media, and we’re always staying up-to-date with the latest and greatest platforms/features. Don’t fight it any longer… get social and have fun with it!

Written by: Jocy Vuiller